All children in metropolitan Melbourne now have access to a specialist Children’s Court.

Effective 6 January 2025, all Children’s Court metropolitan criminal matters, and family violence and personal safety intervention orders where the respondent is a child will be listed at a dedicated Children’s Court location. 

These changes ensure that children and young people are not detained in adult custody cells, will not have their cases determined in adult Courts and will not have to travel to multiple court venues. These changes will improve timeliness, and support and accountability for children and young people before the Court.

Practice Direction 2 of 2024 commenced on 22 October 2024 and outlines the transitional arrangements for the centralisation of metropolitan Children’s Court criminal and intervention order proceedings. 

The Children’s Court has designated new catchment areas for all metropolitan Children’s Court venues as shown below. 

Where a child’s residential address falls within a catchment area, their case will be listed at the following venues.

Broadmeadows Children’s Court

• Northwest

Dandenong Children's Court

• Southeast

Melbourne Children's Court

• East
• Northeast
• Central
• West
• Southwest

Moorabbin Children's Court

• South
• Peninsula

To assist in determine the correct court location a listings tool has been developed.